Caldera: AMBITION (Leonard Rosenman)

[Caldera]

Caldera Records is proud to present the score for the motion picture “Ambition” from 1991, directed by Scott Goldstein, featuring music by Leonard Rosenman.
Actor and writer Lou Diamond Phillips developed a story about an aspiring writer who has trouble finding a job, and has to support himself – as most aspiring writers do – by working odd jobs. His character Mitchell Osgood runs a bookstore when one day he stumbles across a potentially interesting story. If he can investigate and write it down, so Mitchell thinks, it could be his big break as a journalist. The subject of his investigation is a man named Albert Merrick, a serial killer who is up for parole. Who is this man, Mitchell wonders, and what motivated him to commit the awful crimes he was sentenced for?
One of the stars of the film is, undoubtedly, a man behind the scenes: Leonard Rosenman. It was clear to Rosenman and Scott Goldstein that the score should have a progressive, rather than conventional harmonic structure. They agreed that this would help to underscore Merrick’s (the antagonist) horrific, troubling visions and this approach would help capture his state of mind musically. Goldstein suggested Rosenman play him some of his concert music as a blueprint for “Ambition”. Encouraged to be able to draw upon his “progressive” work for the concert stage, Rosenman presented Goldstein with “Foci”, a work for chamber orchestra that the composer had written in 1981 and revised in 1983. Goldstein loved what he heard and commenced to use “Foci” as temp music for “Ambition”. “Foci” is an atonal piece, complex and full of anxiety – exactly what Goldstein needed for his motion picture.
The 31st CD-release of Caldera Records – a world premiere – features a detailed booklet-text by Stephan Eicke and elegant artwork by Luis Miguel Rojas. The CD was produced by Stephan Eicke and John Elborg.

Music Composed and Conducted by Leonard Rosenman
Album Produced by Stephan Eicke
Executive Producers for Caldera Records: John Elborg, Stephan Eicke

Ambition
1. Main Titles (3:23)
2. A New Project (1:31)
3. A Sleepless Night (1:40)
4. Albert Merrick (0:27)
5. The Worst Nightmare of the Day (1:48)
6. Confrontation (1:24)
7. What Makes Him Tick? (1:01)
8. Visions (0:41)
9. Room 301 (1:51)
10. Brave and Brutal (1:02)
11. A Good Friend of Mine (0:37)
12. Cancer, Psychosis, Anything (0:49)
13. Does It Hurt? (1:22)
14. A Matter of Timing (1:40)
15. Where is Mitchell? (0:45)
16. Cat and Mouse (2:02)
17. On Knife’s Edge (1:20)
18. Help Me Out (3:35)
19. On a Sinister Mission (1:26)
20. Jordan (1:04)
21. A Tasty Drug (0:54)
22. Against the Clock (4:12)
23. The Final Duel (0:55)
24. End Credits (3:51)

Listen to a 5 min clip here:
https://soundcloud.com/alderaecords/ambition-leonard-rosenman

For more information please visit:
http://caldera-records.com/portfolio/ambition/

[Max Liebermann]

Klingt toll! Film sagt mir gar nichts, aber die Musik ist klassischer Rosenman. Ein hübsches Thema scheint es auch zu geben. Sehr schöner Fund!

[Max Liebermann]

Den kompletten Film gibts hier zu sehen. Gar nicht übel, mit Noir-Anleihen, was wohl auch ein Grund war, Rosenman zu engagieren. Die Musik hebt den Film nochmal ordentlich an:

 

 

[Gast Stefan Jania]

Die Ankündigung ist erfreulich. Selbst ich als großer Rosenman-Fan hatte den Film nie auf dem Radar. Die CD ist bestellt.   Rosenman ist wirklich "heavy stuff", es ist aber trotzdem schade, dass es seine klassischen Kompositionen nie auf CD geschafft haben - oder dass sie heute wenigstens digital erhältlich wären. Es gab ein paar Werke auf LP,  die habe ich zu der Zeit, als ich mich noch für Vinyl interessiert habe, aber nie gefunden. So kenne ich davon kaum was, auch nicht "Foci". Ich kenne nur einige seiner Werke für Kammerorchester, die in einer 2-stündigen amerikanischen Radiosendung über (und mit!) Rosenman vom Juni 1989 zu hören waren. Diese Sendung gibt es heute auch im Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/MC_1989_06_03